Despite an economic downturn and increasing fuel economy standards, the world’s auto manufacturers have been engaged in something of a horsepower war for years now. This has given us cars like the 470 horsepower Challenger SRT8 392, the 580 horsepower Camaro ZL1, and 662 horsepower Shelby GT500. While America is the front line in this war, proxy horsepower battles have raged in Australia, though the engines may soon go silent in Oz.

In an interview with GoAuto, Holden Special Vehicles managing director Phil Harding says that the Aussie horsepower wars are likely “over”, and that it no longer makes sense to spend money chasing increasing levels of performance.

There are a lot of factors at work here, from increasing emissions standards to rising prices to a change in consumer tastes. Australians are opting for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, and rising emissions standards makes it harder and harder to eek more performance out of engines. According to Harding, the cost of increasing performance has increased tenfold. HSV’s siren song will be the HSV GTS, an LSA-powered Commodore boasting 576 horsepower.

Another factor is Ford’s decision to end domestic car production in Australia. Without Ford, who is Holden competing with? Itself, and to a lesser extent Chrysler, which imports its own cars. That means the current VF Commodore could be the last of the big Aussie power sedans, and perhaps even the end of HSV. Is this a precursor of America’s fate?